Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Ohio State upends No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Bruce Thornton scored 27 points and Devin Royal added 25 for Ohio State as the Buckeyes knocked off No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 Tuesday night.

Ohio State (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) beat a ranked team for the first time in seven tries this season.

Braeden Carrington made five 3-pointers in the second half and led the Badgers with 20 points while Nick Boyd and John Blackwell each had 14 points.

Wisconsin (18-8, 10-5) entered as one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, having beaten then-No. 8 Illinois and then-No. 10 Michigan State last week, but the Badgers couldn’t overcome a first half in which they shot 40% from the floor.

Ohio State shot 51.7% in the first half, including going 6 for 13 from 3-point range, to build a 38-26 lead at the break. The Buckeyes were 11 for 21 from behind the arc for the game.

The Buckeyes extended the lead to 18 with 12:41 to go in the second half, and the Badgers never got closer than 12 the rest of the way. They stayed hot after intermission, making 16 of 28 from the floor (57.1%).

Thornton passed Jerry Lucas and William Buford to move into third place on Ohio State’s career scoring list. The senior guard surpassed 2,000 career points on a layup with 3:04 left.

Thornton has 2,005 points and trails Herb Williams (2,011) and Dennis Hopson (2,096) on the career list.

Up next

Wisconsin: Hosts Iowa on Sunday.

Ohio State: at Michigan State on Sunday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Ohio State upends No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 | iNFOnews.ca
Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter (31) shoots in front of Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton (2) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Ohio State upends No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 | iNFOnews.ca
Ohio State forward Amare Bynum (1) and Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd(2) reach for the ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Ohio State upends No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 | iNFOnews.ca
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) goes to the basket in front of Ohio State guard Taison Chatman, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Ohio State upends No. 24 Wisconsin 86-69 | iNFOnews.ca
Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington (0) drives against Ohio State forward Devin Royal (21) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press


The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.